A Figure in the Dark
by LilacDusts
Summary: Toni resides in Dauntless with his player brother Victor. It follows Toni through the struggles of decisions. Some characters created by avidbookreader14, Queenbee19, CandorRarity, and BlackMambaRebel.
1. The Beginning of This Mess

**Prologue**

_"Your father and the tramp died last night," my mother stated plainly as my 8 year old self groggily entered the kitchen. My heart stopped as tears distorted my vision I crumpled to the ground._

_ My brother kneeled next to me, "Toni you can't show weakness," he whispered._

Today my mother left with her 11th playtoy. I didn't cry. I couldn't pity someone who can't pity. Not someone abused me with a heartless gleam in her eyes. Even if Victor sometimes took the punches for me, I took it all and took it to heart. All she left me with in the end was a "Goodbye Antoine," and with a wave of her hand dumped me into my 12 year old brother's care, two years ago my father died and my heart went with him.

**Chapter 1**

The day went on like any other. I sat through class not caring, I am Dauntless after all. I came home and flirted with Rachel went to sleep. Repeat. Yet today I came home and me and Rachel didn't just flirt we kissed, then freaked out and ran like cowards. That's where all the trouble began.

"Hey Rach," I said sidling up to my beautiful blonde haired brown eyed friend.

That's right friend nothing more, there was nothing more than a friendship between up despite what Shaun thinks. He always seemed to be prodding in any of my friendships with girls and hasn't received any dirt, nor will he. I've never been in a real relationship before, some kissing but no actual lovey-dovey shenanigans. That is the game my brother Victor plays, a disgusting heart-wrenching game.

"Well hello there Toni," Rachel replied with a flip of her curly hair, "How was your day at the place where the Erudite thrive and the rest barely survive?" she asked reciting a joke she overheard me and Shaun say.

"Well, it was boring, useless, and utterly horrifying," I laughed as we carelessly zigzagged between people who shot us dirty looks.

We reached a space where we were finally alone and away from the chasm so it could be relatively quiet a scarce occurrence in this faction. The air was cool from a fan blowing behind us, Rachel's hair blowing in the wind as if we were in a movie.

"So, Toni…" she giggled.

I winked back a signature flirting technique I had learned from my brother.

Before I knew it her lips were on mine. I reached my hand up and ran it threw her hair until it met the arm wrapped around her waist and I pulled her closer. Our eyes fluttered open as we gasped.

"Oh I'm sorry, that wasn't supposed to happen," she muttered not meeting my eyes.

"No, no it was not," I said and we ran.


	2. The King of the Heartless

I entered through the door into Victor and I's small apartment. I strided past the small kitchen area and TV, all the way up the stairs to the balcony overlooking the table. I fell back onto my twin bed and sighed. Victor was rarely ever home. At 14 he started getting into girls and by 15 rarely spent time at home and I often times catch myself wondering what life would be like if all this didn't happen. I quickly shake it away though, thoughts like that are too sappy for Dauntless.

I shook all thoughts of Rachel out of my head and went back down the stairs and heated up some water on the stove.

The lock started jiggling and Victor, my 18 year old brother, stepped into the room.

"Hey there Antoine," he smirked as I dropped two hotdogs into the boiling water.

"Don't call me that," I replied through gritted teeth my eyes meeting his in an icy glare.

"Fine then Toni what are you going to do stuff me in your hotdog water?" he laughed he always made fun of me for cooking but how the hell else are we supposed to eat?

He just continued laughing flipping his shaggy blonde hair out of his face. We didn't look very much alike but we both had deep blue eyes. It's Victor way of making girls fall for him, he gives them a look and their heart is a puddle. Yet, Victor is tan and blonde, whereas I am pale with almost black buzz cut hair, a few faint freckles dotting along my cheeks and nose.

"Where were you?" I asked my brother he was gone for 2 days and I wondered who he was with.

"Well," Victor started, "I went to Abnegation and met this gorgeous redhead."

"Abnegation!?" I asked aghast.

"That is what I said; her name is ah, oh wait, crap, Lila? Lily? Lexi!" he replied trying to remember the girls name.

"She's going against all of her Stiff values and worse of all it's for a scumbag like you," I spoke shaking my head.

"Ahh see I'm not a scumbag I-" He replied.

I cut him off before he could continue, "Yes you are."

"No I just like my girls," He laughed winking as I handed him a hotdog in a bun I wished was poisoned.

"Same thing, just a scum to me," I spat back, taking a bite of my meal.

Victor rolled his eyes in response smiling an annoyingly confident smile.

"Okay then Casanova," I said coolly ending the argument so that we could eat without further irritation.

When Victor was done eating he spoke again, "Alright, I'm going to go see what's up in Candor."

"Her name's Liz," I sighed it was quite pitiful that I had to remember the names of my brother's girls.

"Thanks bro!" He laughed and left unaware as my eyes bore a glare at his back.

Knowing he wouldn't be coming back tonight I turned on the TV flipping through channels until the drone of the audio lulled me finally to sleep.


	3. Jailhouse Charge

I awoke to a scream on some soap opera and glanced at the clock 6 am... Dang it I didn't oversleep I thought with a groan.

Quickly dressing in a soft v-neck black t-shirt that was comfortable, I glanced at my faded black jeans and slipped on my black combat boots lacing them up quickly before grabbing an energy bar and swallowing a shot of orange juice.

Before I left I got a glimpse of the empty table where me and Victor used to eat meals together reminding me of my old home haunting me with memories of my parents. No matter how much I deny it, deep down I know I miss the bliss of ignorance.

Quickly shutting the door I groggily met up with Shaun and started heading to the train with him avoiding anyone with curly blonde hair.

"So where's Rachel?" Shaun asked raising his eyebrows at me.

"I don't want to talk about it," I murmured.

"Okay then," he said giving me a look as if to say spill your guts, "I'll just go ask her."

"NO! Don't you dare...!" I said catching him in a headlock; I had always been the stronger one.

Shaun laughed, "Bro tell me," he replied while elbowing me in the stomach, he had always been better with strategy.

I felt a sharp pain and decided to let him go, "Okay so yesterday we kissed and then ran away," I spilled sounding confident as if it didn't matter just a girl.

"Okay then Victor," He replied raising an eyebrow at me in question.

At that a punched him in the face, not as a joke.

"What the hell man!" Shaun shouted.

I glared at him, "Don't compare me to him ever again," I spat.

"Alright, just don't punch me in the face again," He said as we arrived by the train stop.

"Sorry you know it's a sore subject," I apologized feeling genuinely bad.

"It's chill, the trains coming," he said feeling the ground rumble.

All the sudden the train slowed a little and I lept. For a second I was suspended in air feeling the wind and landed next to Shaun.

"Just another day in the life," Shaun joked.

I laughed and when I laugh I can't stop and am uncontrollably in hysterics, it's one of my weakness. Showing weakness makes you look like easy prey.

We jumped off the train off by school or the jailhouse if you prefer. A couple of Amity's were laughing around cracking jokes happily naive. A few Abnegation boys were solemn faced and quietly whispering. One Candor girl was telling the other her dress makes her fat and that she looked like a raccoon. Finally, there was a clustered group of Erudites intently debating about school.

"I dare you to charge through them," I challenged Shaun who was staring at them. I guess back then there could have been a longing look in his eyes but at the time, if there was, I didn't notice.

"Only if you come with me," Shaun replied with a determined look in his eyes.

I returned the look, "Deal."

"1, 2, 3." We charged and sprinted through the crowd of blue apparently at the center there is a blonde and a brunette girl but I didn't catch their faces.

"What was that?" One of the braver boys called I guess he wasn't too smart in the common sense to challenge a Dauntless but who was I to talk, common sense isn't really our factions specialty.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Jayson," the boy replied.

"Well Jayson, it's called having fun maybe you should try it sometime," I laughed.

The boy scowled and returned to his learning obsessed friends.

Throughout school I either slept, or wondered about what it would be like to be Erudite with your parents always pressuring you to beat everyone. I was surprised they had friends you would think they would sit around studying all day scowling at anyone who was too close to beating them on the math test.

I met up with Shaun after school who was reading something, "Whoa there man is that a book in your hands?" I joked.

"I was just seeing what the Erudites find so interesting about learning," Shaun said quickly, yet smoothly.

"Yeah sure," I said noticing the Jayson kid was glaring at me again.

When I got home Victor wasn't there as usual. I glanced at my homework and laughed. Not happening.


	4. Victor's Victims

About a month later was when things really became unpleasant.

I came inside from school surprised to see Victor actually in his rightful faction. No wonder he wanted to be a guard, he already spent more time in the other four factions, so much for raising his little brother.

"Hey Toni," Victor said showing he acknowledged my presence.

Until then I didn't notice the girl in our house, "Awww he's so cute!"

What the hell? I'm only two years younger than them.

"Toni, this is Audrey," Victor said placing an arm around the giggling girl who was batting her eyelashes at him. I think I puked a little in my mouth. "Audrey this is Toni he is..."

"Sixteen," I sneered.

"Oh wait faction are you going to choose?" Audrey asked as Victor kissed her cheek, the poor girl didn't know who Victor really was.

"Probably Dauntless," I replied and at the time I meant it.

"Oh! That's nice! Crap I'm late Vicky, I've got to leave, bye-bye y'all!" Audrey exclaimed as she ran to the door. Victor gave me a wink as he gazed at places on the girl that shouldn't be gazed at.

"How many?" I asked as soon as I assumed Audrey was out of earshot.

"Well 6, Audrey and Kelsey from Dauntless, Liz from Candor, Patty from Amity, Gina from Erudite, and Lexi from Abnegation." Victor recited proudly.

"Really Victor? Are any not members yet?" I asked hoping he would say there were none.

"Lexi is 16," Victor said as if it didn't matter at all.

"Victor, you do realize the girl is going to switch to Dauntless in vain?" I calmly spoke careful not to lose my temper.

"Not in vain, there's me!" Victor raised his eyebrows obviously not considering that she might find out he didn't really love her and she switched factions to a place she didn't belong in. Yet, we don't really care about others feelings we aren't supposed to.

"Yeah because you are a great reason to switch," I sarcastically stated.

"Well, it doesn't matter I let her go, to spend some time with the others."

"You don't realize what you just did? This girl isn't like the girls from other factions. Dating is a sin over there, and you she broke that for you, in short that's bad," I said trying to explain what he did wrong.

"Well, aren't you wise?" Victor smirked.

I rolled my eyes and flipped on the TV tossing the remote to him.

"Are all your relationships that sappy?" I asked him.

"So you are taking an interest," he replied.

"No, I'm just wondering if you become mush for all of them like Audrey?" I said.

"Maybe one day you'll be able to get someone to put up with you," he laughed.

Rolling my eyes I sighed turning to the screen and ignoring my brother.

A week later things got real.

"She's pregnant and you left her in a field with a note?" I exclaimed.

"Well yeah what else was I supposed to do?" he asked.

"I don't know support the child?" I suggested.

Victor laughed, "She'll be fine!"

"WHAT!? No she won't you are going to have a child!" I shouted in frustration.

"Well I don't have time for a child," Victor said simply.

I sighed giving up, "You know what Victor, I'm leaving thanks for not raising me, maybe it's good you aren't going to be in this child's life. I hope I never have to see your face again."

"Always trying to be a hero, isn't that right Toni?" Victor sneered.

"F*ck off a**hole," and with that I slammed the door fleeing just another figure in the dark.


	5. A trip to Different Worlds

I ran that night I'm not sure why and wasn't sure where I was going but I ran until I reached a point where I jumped. My feet slammed hard against the floor of the empty train car, I sat down and gazed out the side the cool night air whipping around me.

We zoomed down the rail tracks and when we passed Candor I thought about Liz somewhere out there soon to be ashamed by Victor's lies.

When we passed Amity, Patty crossed my mind a girl who will become restless from Victor's brute.

The lights if Erudite shone away from me and not only did I think of Gina and how she was blinded from her wit by Victor's tricks, but I thought of that group of Erudites always clustered the same way. Who was Jayson or those girls in the center? Were their parents always pressuring them? Is that considered love?

When the plain homes and buildings of Abnegation came into my view I thought of Lexi. It's weird thinking of people you have never met before, but I had spent a whole night doing so. This poor girl lay in bed somewhere scared and alone stripped away by Victor's selfishness, probably deemed to be judged by false accusations forever.

Then my thoughts drift to me. I have dealt with Victor longer, my full 16 years of existence. I knew the Victor that used to be a caring older brother until one day Dauntless changed him. At that hour, minute, second I decided I was going to be different somewhere, somehow, I would be.

-

Eventually dawn approached and at daybreak I made my way to Shaun's house.

"Hello Toni!" his mother said opening the door with a smile.

In Dauntless many of the parents do care for their children and love them but they just don't show it. Even at Shaun's it's a totally different world.

Shaun scrambled downstairs, "Oh Uh Toni?"

"Yeah I came by early, decided to not go back to that place once and for all," I replied to what I knew he would ask next.

"You can stay in the guest room until initiation," Shaun's mom piped up.

"Thanks," I shrugged.

"Your welcome, are you guys skipping?" she asked casually.

"Nah, we might as well go," Shaun replied leaving his home, "See ya later."

"Well, momma's got to get to the tattoo shop!" she said.

Nodding me and Shaun jumped on the train. I showed no signs of sleep, I had after all gotten zero sleep, but who really needs it anyway?

At school for once I paid attention not to the learning but the people. Observing how they interacted with each other without bias.

Now I was pretty sure I was going to switch factions, "But which?" I mumbled.

"Yes Toni?" The teacher asked.

"4," I said quickly acting on impulse going with the first answer that came to mind.

"Mr. Anderling, this is English class," the teacher replied and a whole bunch of giggles and laughs.

Rolling my eyes I went back deep into my thoughts.

After school music became my sanctuary blasting the beats into my headphones and listening intently to the words. The room across from mine was Shaun's and lately we haven't spoken much. I was always too absorbed in my thoughts and Shaun probably didn't want me to snap at him.

So I listen to the lyrics and closed my eyes until one day I couldn't stand it much longer.


	6. Dead Already

About 2 months until the Choosing Ceremony I was walking around by the chasm when a boy I knew as Freddy came up to me.

"Hello Toni how are you?" he asked.

"Well fine and dandy thanks for asking," I snapped wanting the 15 year old to leave me alone.

"Well someone rolled out of bed on the wrong side," Freddy said sarcastically, "Maybe it's the family problems."

I felt anger boil up inside of me and turned to the kid, "Someone's got guts."

"Geez man maybe you could give them a second chance?" Freddy suggested.

"A second chance? Do you know where my mother is because no one else in the 5 factions seem to know." I sneered at the kid.

"Well your brother?" he asked.

That's when I lost control and punched the kid. He punched back but I dodged it, and I punched him again in the face pulling him into a headlock and repeatedly hitting him.

Freddy elbowed me and kicked me even clawed my arm leaving scratch marks. Slowly I lost my grip and he punched me in eye.

Ignoring the pain I kicked him to the ground and continued to kick him even when he lost consciousness, his body mangled and bloody laying on the ground. I had finally cracked someone pulled me away, Rachel, I growled at her breaking away from her grip and stalked off.

Later that day I heard whispers as I walked past with my black eye and scratches that I had almost killed Freddy. I had almost killed someone; I thought I was above this it's something Victor would do. Which also I had heard he had slept with a girl Rebecca and she may be kicked out of Candor for lying about it. Now I had joined the family business of ruining people's lives as well, I was no different from Victor.

I ran my way up to the train station and sat on the roof of the building where the Dauntless entrance was. Sitting on the edge of the building my legs dangled over the edge.

How easily it would be to just fall over the edge of the building and tumble to the concrete below, how easy it would be to end the mess called Antoine Daniel Anderling.

I was dead already, no one depended on me, not Victor, I was a burden to Shaun's family, and the rest of my family gone. I would be doing the world a favor, I was dead already.

I slowly stood and took a shaky breath gazing at the ground below me hoping it would be quick. I held out my arms like a bird and jumped.

An arm grabbed my wrist as my feet left the ground and pulled me back to the solid ground.

"You really didn't need to take your own life man," Shaun said.

"Leave me alone, I deserved it." I glared at the floor.

"No you didn't," Shaun said and walked back to his house as I reluctantly followed.

The next morning I skipped school and went to the tattoo parlor and had a simple word inked in between my shoulder blades, hope.


	7. Serum of Discovery

When I went back to school I got glares and skeptical looks as people gazed at my face. Yet, on the bright side everyone thought twice about actually approaching me.

Soon the aptitude test approached marking almost the end to my Dauntless days. I had ruled out Candor and Dauntless, after about a day of paying attention in class I ruled out Erudite too. That left Abnegation and Amity but Abnegation could be the guilt talking.

On the day of the tests I jumped on the train with Shaun, this was the only test that has mattered to me and on the inside I was a little nervous. On the surface I was calm and ready.

"Anderling , Antoine," a voice called and I was ushered into a room with a bunch of mirrors and a man dressed in gray. I noticed that I had healed from the fight.

The man started to put lots of wires on me which I found weird but I did what I was told to do, and drank from a vial.

I woke up in a room with cheese and a knife and a woman's voice harshly told be to choose. I weighed he options, cheese could be good for survival but so could a knife. I went with the cheese, if I needed a weapon I could always use my fists.

All of the sudden a dog appeared growling angrily at me. I looked at the cheese and placed it on the ground. The dog ran up to it barking and sniffing before devouring it ravenously.

"Ooo a puppy!" I heard a little girl screech and run towards the dog who was now irate again and charging at her.

I sprinted to the little girl and picked her up running fast way from the dog until he had us cornered. I placed the little girl behind me and punched the dog in the nose before he ran whining away.

The scene changed and there was a man with a news paper and turned to me, "Do you know this man?" he asked.

The man looked on the paper looked familiar but somehow I knew it would put people in danger if I said I knew him, "I'm sorry I don't."

"You are lying! I know you are please tell me it can help me!" he pleaded.

I thought again, help one man and put more people in danger or help people safe by saying... "I am sorry I do not know him."

I was returned to the odd room with mirrors, "Very peculiar," the Abnegation man said.

"What?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You had aptitude for Abnegation and Amity as well as a little from Dauntless. You see you sought peace until you helped the little girl and when push came to shove you used violence. I concluded that you are Amity and Abnegation and when you are Abnegation you had to use a little bit of violence." he explained.

Someone used to be Erudite. "So what's the big deal?" I asked.

"You are Divergent you can't tell anyone. This is very dangerous and you could easily get killed," the man said intently yet barely above a whisper.

I nodded, "Thank you sir."

The man nodded and I walked back out the door as more names were shouted. More people could learn their fate and decide where they belong.


	8. Impulses Setting the Future

I waited for my name and walked up to the bowls picking up the knife and looked at them. A glanced at the five and positioned my hand over one. Sighing a raised the knife and moved my hand at the last second. Drops of my crimson blood dropped to the brown soil. Amity.

Throughout the rest of the Ceremony I thought of what would happen if my hand had stayed where it was first set. Soon I would have been dressed in articles of gray, instead I will be brightly clothed in yellow and red instead. I didn't think I could be completely selfless, selfishness ran in my bloodline.

I was ushered out the door on the train noticing people crying or receiving dirty looks. I saw Victor in the crowd with a smirk, I was surprised he came. I kept a look of no emotion on my face as we boarded the train a girl behind me wiping tears from her eyes and putting on a bright smile.

It was weird when the train stopped completely, I slowly walked on and sat on a plush cushion next to another boy.

"I'm Kevin," he said holding out his hand. His clothes were gray.

I shook his hand, "Toni."

Observing the other initiates in my car. I saw a boy in black and white as well as the girl who had been crying where from Candor. There was a girl dressed in blue who was chatting with the Ex-Candor. Then another person wearing gray with a round stomach.

I chatted with the boy Kevin for awhile before turning to the girls.

I read their name tags, Kimberly and Francescia, "Hey Kim and Fran aren't you a pretty bunch?" I felt sickeningly like Victor but for some reason kept flirting.

"Excuse me but if I was given a nickname I would rather it be Cescia," The Candor girl said with sass, she had tan skin, dark hair, and dark eyes.

"Oh and you must be the self-centered jerk!" The Erudite girl replied, she had jet black hair and sea-green or mint eyes.

"Yes, yes I am," I winked reaching out my hand, even though I had aptitude for the selfless faction. I'm not shallow or anything even though I appeared to be at this moment but both of these girls were quite good looking even the Abnegation in the corner.

"Only my friends can call me Kim," she replied reluctantly shaking my hand.

"Then does this mean we are more than friends?" I asked, but internally I told Victor to get out of my brain.

One of the trainers called out, "Is it me or is there no fighting in Amity?"

So what do I reply with, "Not fighting, flirting." Smooth man your really starting your new life out nicely.

"Maybe you should find another girl to flirt with," Kim said.

So I turned to Cescia, "Hello Dark Beauty," Victor said through my mouth.

Cescia gave me a look telling me, 'not a chance' so I shrugged and turned back to Kim.

"I have a boyfriend," she said.

She couldn't have a boyfriend, anyone in their right mind would break up with someone if they were in different factions, unless if your my brother. There were no other Ex-Erudites so therefore I said...

"And you think that's going to stop me?" and I looked to see how she took this.

"Well, why did you switch to Amity if you have no respect for other people's girlfriends," Kim asked like true Ex-Erudite.

Toni you better go get some ice for that burn I thought and avoided the question. For the rest of the ride I continued to flirt with the girl, something inside of me told me I had too.

A little while later a trainer came out and called different names and I exited the train when Toni was called, thank goodness they didn't say Antoine.

When I was about to reach the gate a man came running at me with a knife. Every fiber of me told me to defend myself but instead I resisted, I was in Amity after all. The man or should I say hologram passed through me and I sighed, Phase 1 of Initiation was complete.


	9. Lexi

**I got lazy and this chapter is extremely short but I will make it up in the Chapter 10**

Then I heard the name, "Lexi Boroff," called and it all clicked.

An Ex - Abnegation, with red hair, and that's pregnant. My thoughts drifted to my brother and my hate for him grew.

Jonothan I now learned was the name of the trainer in charge since the others were just making out in the corner. We were told to pick apples and fill the barrel.

I climbed up the tree quickly and started to pull apples off the tree and dump them into my barrel. I looked down at Lexi who was leaning up against the tree exhausted from walking around and picking the apples she could reach.

The trainers were too bust flirting to notice as I poured enough apples to fill up her barrel.

"Thank you!" she said in great gratitude, "What is your name?" she asked.

"Toni," I replied quickly, leaving out my last name for obvious reasons.

I climbed back up the tree noticing Kim looking at me with a puzzled expression but when she was caught she turned away.

The next morning I dressed in Amity clothes I had bought the day before and placed the sunglasses on my head remembering how bright it had been out in the orchards.

I was standing with Kim in the line for food when Jonothan called me over, "Toni Anderling?" and he handed me my sunglasses.

I turned around seeing Lexi's eyes widen. Great now she knows Victor is my brother, this can't be good.

"Do you have a brother?" she asked.

I gulped, "Yes," I stated simply.

"So, your my baby's uncle?" She asked looking up at the eyes I shared with Victor.

"Yes, but I hate him too," I whispered so that the trainers could not hear me, I had a feeling that saying you hated someone was not allowed.

"Well I won't judge you off of him, besides you seem a bit nicer, but then again my judgement isn't too great," Lexi rambled.

Nice Victor, ruining their self esteem that deserves a slow clap. I continued talking to Lexi for awile before we started to go back and pick apples while singing.


End file.
